WISE – The UVA Wise volleyball team will attempt to keep their winning ways going as they have three South Atlantic Conference matches this week. They are at Lenoir-Rhyne Monday evening, followed by home matches against Tusculum Wednesday evening and Wingate on Friday.

They are coming off a strong performance vs. Newberry Saturday afternoon in which they came from behind to capture the first set and then shut down the Wolves in the final two sets for the 3-0 sweep.

GETTING WISE
- The win over Newberry snapped a three-match streak in which the Cavs fell at Anderson and to LMU and Mars Hill. The win on Saturday marks the most SAC wins in a season by the Cavs, who joined the conference in 2019. It also ties the most wins in a season since 2016 with last year's team.
- UVA Wise is averaging 11.95 kills, 11.19 assists, 1.48 aces, 18.24 digs, and 2.14 blocks a set.
- In Saturday's match vs. Newberry, Riley Brandon joined a somewhat elite club as she passed the 100 kills, 100 assists, and 100 digs mark for this season. She joins Kellie Burke (2003), and Sam Puryea (2007) in achieving this "triple-triple" feat. Jessica Cain (2001), Candida Robinson (2001), Nikki Jesse (2003) and Mikaela Anders (2009 and 2010) had 100 kills, digs and blocks in a season. Kim Mathes had the rare "quadruple-triple" as she passed the century mark in kills, assists, digs and blocks in 2001. (No wonder they later made her the coach.) Brandon currently has 155 kills, 117 assists, and 103 digs this season.
- Kaylee Scarce leads the team in kills with 169 (she ranks fifth in the SAC in kills per set with 3.02) and is second in assists with 188. Serina Petersen also has 100-plus kills thus far in 2024 as she has 112.
- Piper Suddeth is the team leader in assists with 289 and is third in digs with 163.
- Abigail Curtis leads the team in aces (18) and digs (318) and ranks in the top five in the SAC in digs and digs per set. Kamryn Livingston (110) also has more than 100 digs this season.
- Cassidy Farley has 78 blocks on the season, which leads the SAC.

ABOUT LENOIR-RHYNE
- The Bears are currently 18-1 overall and 9-1 in SAC play. Their only loss of the season is a 3-1 setback to Wingate on Oct. 2 in Hickory. LRU leads the overall series 8-0.
- Kayli Cleaver is slicing through opponent defenses for 3.21 kills a set (218 overall), which ranks her third in the SAC. She also has 47 blocks.
- Jenna Vogen has 159 kills and a team-high 199 digs, while Averie Dale has 123 kills and leads the team in blocks with 84.
- Sydney Karjala (384) and Rachel Wildermuth (289) lead the team in assists.
- The Bears are hitting .220 as a team on the season and are averaging 12.6 kills, 11.6 assists, 18.6 digs, and 2.3 blocks a set.

ABOUT TUSCULUM
- The Pioneers enter the week with a 7-11 overall and 5-5 SAC record. They will play at Limestone Tuesday evening before making the trip to Wise on Wednesday.
- The Pioneers are literally the oldest opponent on UVA Wise's schedule as they were the first team the Highland Cavaliers played. UVA Wise opened the program with the 2-0 sweep in Greear Gym in a one-day tournament in Wise on Nov. 8, 1969. They also played Milligan and Virginia Intermont that day. Also competing in the tournament were Sullins and Emory & Henry (who won it). Tusculum leads 30-3 in the overall series.
- Addison McLarty (166), Martina Foster (150), Whitney Thompson (113), and McKayla Willey (103) lead the team in kills. Foster leads the team in blocks with 49.
- Madison Adkins leads the Pioneers in assists with 572 and has 182 digs and 35 blocks.
- Amiranee Au has 247 digs and Taylor Sanders has 171.
 
ABOUT WINGATE
- Wingate is 16-2 overall and 8-1 in the SAC. The Bulldogs won the earlier meeting between the two on Sept. 24 in Wingate and lead the overall series 8-0.
- They host LMU Tuesday evening before travelling to Wise for Friday's meeting.
- The Bulldogs are hitting .278 for the season and are averaging 14.0 kills, 13.0 assists, 17.1 digs, and 1.9 blocks per set.
- Sydney Moreland is hitting a SAC high .417 this season. She leads the team with 163 kills and 60 blocks. Maddie Hoffman leads in digs with 327.
- Wingate is balanced offensively as six players have 100 or more kills.
- Maya Van Heyst leads the team in assists (441), aces (33), and is second in digs with 217. She also has three triple-doubles this season, tying her with Riley Brandon for the conference lead. They both rank fourth nationally in that category.